Description & Analysis

The total lack of demand for additional dimes in circulation left the U. S. Mint with a quandary. Should it coin proofs alone and risk having these become instant rarities that were exploited in the secondary market, or should it produce just enough currency strikes to satisfy collector demand? Director Horatio Burchard opted for a modest mintage of non-proofs so that collectors could obtain dimes of the current year at face value. This practice remained in effect for dimes through 1881, after which time normal mintages resumed.

A mintage of 14,000 pieces would normally result in a rare issue, but a substantial percentage of this mintage was picked off by speculators immediately. Mint State pieces, even gems, are disproportionately common in relation to circulated examples, which are indeed rare. This explains the narrow value range across all grades below MS 66.

A couple of repunched date varieties are known for 1879 dimes, but these are interest primarily to specialists.

GRADE SUMMARY

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Use the scroll bar at the bottom of this box to view a summary of the NGC Price Guide, NGC Census, Auction Prices Realized and NGC Registry Scores for each grade.